Motor vehicle chassis



Jan. 2, 1945. E w oc 2,366,166

MOTOR VEHICLE CHASS IS Filed July 2a, 1945 INVCNTOR 044w (nu/M0 wluaur Patented Jan. 2, 1945 i :MOTORVEHICLE chass s. H y

Edward Willock,VancouvenBritishf Columbia, Canada. Application July 29, 1943, SerialNo. 496,560

4 Claims.

transmission and rear axle housing and to provide a convenient means for changing a truck from say a long bodied platform truck to a shorter bodied truck such as a dump orthe like by substituting one rear portion for another.

The invention contemplates the division of the chassis transversely at a point behind the motor and the interpqsition of a longitudinally arranged sleeve bearing between the forward and rearward parts of the chassis and the mounting of a bearing within thesleeve tojournal an intermediate portion of the drive shaft, as will be more fully described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is .a part plan view of the chassis showing the sleeve bearing. I i Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view 'of the sleeve hearing.

In the drawing like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

The numeral I indicates generally a truck chassis having a frame 2 and front and rear portions 3 and 4. The front portionis provided in the usual manner with front wheelst and stantial depth to afford ample strength. A large tubular bearing M is'secured between the members ll preferably by welding, and a sleeve I5 is journalled in said bearing, which extends through the transverse members [2 and is rigidly conne'cted thereto.

The front end of the sleeve is provided with lock nuts I6 between which and the forward transverse member I l a thrust bearmg I! is provided. Between adjacent members H and I2 surrounding the sleeve IS a thrust bearing i8 is also provided and at the rear end of i the sleeve and at the rear side of the rear transverse member l2 a self-aligning bearing IQ of any suitable type is mounted.

The motor 22, see Figure 2, drives the vwheels (crest-112) through a drive shaft, generally indicated bythe numeral 23, which-includes a universal joint 24 at the rear end of themotor, a splined shaft 25 which passes through the sleeve l5 and is jour- 5 nailed in the self aligning bearing IS, a universal joint 26 and a splined shaft 21 which connects through the differential housing 8 and th differential, not shown, tothe rear axle.

The body of the truck would obviously be mounted upon the rear portion 4 of the frame '2, so that when the chassis is twisted about the axis defined by the sleeve l5 and the bearing I2 no twisting strain wouldbeimpartedto the body. No twisting strains are imparted to any of the frame members, consequently crystallization of the metal in the frame is overcome and rougher roads can be negotiated withoutfear of failure or breakdown.

The mounting of a self aligning bearing at 20 the longitudinal axis of rotation of the frame to journal an intermediate portion of the drive shaft parts reduces the end movement of splines adjacent the universal joint 26 and ensures .a more perfect alignment of the drive shaft parts than that normally obtained.

If it, is desired to changetruck bodies, sub- :stituting a short truck body for a long platform upon a long frame member, such as thatindicated in Figure 2, it sufiices to remove the front, lock nuts l6, withdraw the rear end frame member and its road wheel parts and enter the sleeve l5 of the desired short truckbody framemember into the bearing I4 and replace the lock nuts upon the sleeve and couple up the new drive shaft to the universal joint 26.

What I claim as my invention is:

' s l. A motor vehicle chassis including a frame adapted to accommodate a drivers seat and a body and being divided transversely adjacent the driversseat to form a front end portion and a rear end portion, said frame comprising pairs of. aligned longitudinal members connected by pairs of spaced transverse members, one pair of said members supporting a sleeve extending longitudinallyof one frame end portion and a bearing for said sleeve carried by the spaced transverse members. of the other frame end portion. i j

j 2. A motor vehicle chassis including a frame adapted to accommodate a drivers seat and a body and being divided transversely adjacent the drivers seat to form a front end portion and a rear end portion, said frame comprising pairs of aligned longitudinal members connected by pairs of spaced transverse members, one pair of said.

body, and being divided transversely adjacent the drivers seat to form a front end portion and a rear end portion, said frame comprising pairs, of relatively long aligned longitudinal members connected by spaced transverse members, one of 3 said members supporting a sleeveexteriding longitudinally of one frame end portion and a biter: I I

ing for said sleeve carried by the transverse members of the other frame end portion.

4. A motor vehicle chassis including a frame adapted to accommodate a drivers seat and a body, and being divided transversely adjacent the drivers seat to form a front end portion and l arear end portion, said frame comprising pairs a I of relatively long aligned longitudinal members v,-

connected by spa d trans erse m mber one said members supporting a, sleeve extending Ion-- gitudinally of one frame end portion, a bearing r for said sleeve carried by the transverse members of the other frame end portion, said sleeve havinga bearing in which the drive shaft of the vehicle is adapted to be journalled.

' HARRY EDWARD WILLOCK. 

